From Russia to Helsinki To London – My Expat Life
We interview Influencer and Russian Ekaterina Popova who has had an interesting life moving to Finland and then settling in London. She tells us
Your guide to moving to Finland. Visas, citizenship and more.
Better known as ‘the land of a thousand lakes, Finland is paradise for people who want to live in one of the most developed countries in the world. It’s also one of the largest countries by area in Europe, but with a population of only 5.3 million of which the majority lives in urban areas.
But Finland is not only a beautiful and quiet place. It’s politically stable and the safest travel destination in the world. It is also ranks second in the world for equality and has the smallest gender employment gap. Finns trust their politicians and police and have the best primary education worldwide. No wonder Finland is the fifth happiest nation worldwide.
These facts explain why the number of foreigners settling in the country is growing each year. You’ll soon experience the importance of education and training when working in Finland. It is considered a great factor in business success.
Finns take great pride in their culture and history and trust and honesty are traits that are greatly valued.
Nordic citizens, that is, citizens of Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark are free to enter, reside, study and work in Norway. They do not need a visa, residence or work permit.
Other citizens from the European Economic Area (EEA) can also work and live in Finland.
Youth Mobility Visa
- If you are an Australian or New Zealand Citizen between the ages of 18-30, you may be eligible under the Working Holiday Maker program.
To find out if you need a tourist visa to visit Finland, please use the VisaHQ tool below.
Family Visas:
- If one of your grandparents is or has been a native Finnish citizen, you can apply for residency in Finland.
- If your spouse is a citizen or permanent resident of Finland, you are probably eligible for residency. Please note that your status of spouse needs to be legally recognised in this country.
- See the citizenship section below for more information on residency or citizenship based on descent.
Here are some of the ways to get citizenship in Finland:
- If your mother was a citizen of Finland when you were born, you are probably also a citizen of Finland.
- If your father was a citizen of Finland when you were born, you are probably also a citizen of Finland. Your parents needed to be married or else paternity needs to be established.
- If your spouse is a citizen, you can apply for citizenship after being resident in Finland for a continuous period of 4 years or a period of 6 years where 2 of those years were continuous. Please note that your status of spouse needs to be legally recognised in this country.
- If you were born in Finland but your parents are not Finnish, you are not automatically a Finnish citizen because your parents are foreign nationals. However, you may obtain Finnish citizenship if you cannot automatically obtain your parents’ citizenship.
There is no investment visa for Finland at this time.